Recently, an outdoor unit of a separate type air conditioner, particularly, an outdoor unit to be installed on the wall immediately beneath a window, verandah, stairs or rooftop is reduced in size and weight. In addition, wiring and piping sections are provided in the upper part of the housing and the top of the housing is a detachable top plate, in most cases, for the convenience of wiring or assembling from above the unit.
A conventional example of such outdoor unit is shown in FIG. 5, in which the inside of a housing 21 is partitioned into a fan compartment P and a compressor compartment Q by means of a soundproof board 31. The fan compartment P accommodates a fan 26, a heat exchanger 28, and other components. The compressor compartment Q accommodates a compressor 29 and other components in its lower part, and incorporates a wiring junction 30 for connecting a refrigerant piping from the indoor unit to the compressor 29 in its upper part. A wiring 25 for a power source connection is drawn in from the outside of the housing 21 into an installation space R so that wiring work can be done from above the unit by making use of the installation space R of the wiring junction 30 provided in the upper part of the compressor compartment Q. However, since dew may condense on the wiring junction 30 due to the operation of the air conditioner, a power source board 23 is provided in an installation space S above the side of the fan compartment P and separated from the installation space R by a partition wall 24a. The wiring 25 is connected through a penetration hole 31 provided in the partition wall 24a. Such wiring work from above the unit is done by opening the upper part of installation spaces R, S by detaching top plate 22 of housing 21. After the wiring work is done, and to prevent water from seeping into the installation space S of the power source board 23, and to prevent rainwater or water made by defrosting operation in the heating mode from seeping through the gap of the penetration hole 31 and wiring 25 or into the fan compartment P to deposit on the fan 26, part of the water is scattered forcibly toward the installation region of the power source board 23 by the rotation of the fan 26. Accordingly, gaps formed in the air passage between a gorge 32 opened upward in the installation space S of the power source board 23 and the top plate 22, or in the installation space S are filled and sealed with caulking material or the like.
In a conventional outdoor unit, however, the wiring 25 drawn into the installation space R from outside of the housing 21 must be further drawn into the installation space S through the penetration hole 31, and hence the wire drawing work is not easy. Further, the work of connecting the wiring 25 drawn into the installation space S to the power source board 23 is not easily accomplished because of the obstacle of the partition wall 24a between the both installation spaces R, S.
Moreover, gaps formed between the air passage and the installation space S vary with the shape and structure of the installation space S. The shape is complicated between the gorge 32 opened above and top plate 32, and its surface area is relatively wide; the same caulking as above is difficult, and it takes a long time, plenty of sealing material is required, raising job cost.
The invention is devised in the light of the above problems, and it is hence a primary object thereof to present an outdoor unit of separate type air conditioner capable of easily preventing water seeping into the power source board installation region, and also to enhance, as required, the working efficiency of wiring and assembling from above the unit.